Future Continuous Tense

How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

subject

+

auxiliary verb WILL

+

auxiliary verb BE

+

main verb

invariable

invariable

present participle

will

be

base + ing

For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

+

I

will

be

working

at 10am.

+

You

will

be

lying

on a beach tomorrow.

-

She

will

not

be

using

the car.

-

We

will

not

be

having

dinner at home.

?

Will

you

be

playing

football?

?

Will

they

be

watching

TV?

When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will:

I will

I'll

you will

you'll

he willshe willit will

he'llshe'llit'll

we will

we'll

they will

they'll

For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not

I won't

you will not

you won't

he will notshe will notit will not

he won'tshe won'tit won't

we will not

we won't

they will not

they won't

We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

past

present

future

4pm

At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working.

When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples:

I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.

They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.

What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?

What will you be doing when I arrive?

She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.

We'll be having dinner when the film starts.

Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

Using the present continuous for the future

The future continuous tense is the present continuous tense recycled. It is often used to ask about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future time, but you only use it when these arrangements are certain.

For example:

Q) What are you doingnext week?" A) "I'm working."

Q) What's he doingtomorrow?" A) "He's playing tennis."

The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments and arrangements using the words go or come....

For example:

Q) When are you coming to see me?" A) "Next week."

Q) What are you doing tomorrow?" A) "I'm going to the dentist."

...and using verbs of arrival and departure.

"We're arriving in London at 2.30."

"The train leaving from platform one is the 2.45 to Edinburgh."

The Future Continuous (will be doing)

The use of 'will be doing' in a sentence is often referred to as the future continuous. It is used to talk about activities that will be happening at a particular time or over a particular time in the future.

For example:

Next week we will be having a party. Can you come?

You can also use it (or the present continuous form) to talk about future plans.